Roller Coaster India

“During my trip to Kolkata, India, I could only think of one thing: roller coaster,” says Cuban filmmaker Yuribert Capetillo Hardy. As the name suggests, Hardy’s short film Roller Coaster India is nothing short of a vibrant, and at times, dizzying spectacle. The film’s point of view twists from scene to scene with almost zero delay, delivering a sensory overload that Hardy describes as a visualization of his feelings, fears, and emotions while traveling through India.

The film is a choppy glimpse into everyday life on the streets of India, forcing viewers to cling to each scene. Hardy, who is now based in Holland, remarks that these moments are a stark contrast to his daily life but also make him reminiscent of his own childhood in Havana, Cuba. “Compared to my week in India, I realized that my life in the streets of Havana wasn’t that bad after all. The energy of this country, the spirituality of the people, and the spark in their eyes made this the trip of a lifetime.”